


Patience

by Drag0nWr1tes



Series: Too Loud (a Voltron AU series) [4]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Hurt Lance, Langst, M/M, Panic Attacks, Past Abuse, Protective shiro, hurt keith, protective keith
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-31
Updated: 2018-03-31
Packaged: 2019-04-16 11:41:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14164080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Drag0nWr1tes/pseuds/Drag0nWr1tes
Summary: Keith really needs to work on his anger management.





	Patience

**Author's Note:**

> Shorter one but here's the next part. Love y'all!

Keith really needed to learn to be more patient. He’d been trying, really he had been and it had been working. Most of the time, he just wanted to hold Lance close and keep him safe, which he was doing.

The problem came in when the cases that Shiro and Keith had been working on before finding Lance needed their attention. Most of the time they were fine, one of them could go to work while the other would stay with Lance. It was working.

But then it didn’t.

A few months before, Keith had gone undercover for the narcotics division. He’d managed to help them crack the case and he would be going in to testify soon, they’d already worked it out that he’d be in when Shiro would be there. The problem? The ADA on the case (not Lotor, he knew better) was being a complete asshole.

He kept questioning Keith and he insisted on making house calls when he knew that he needed to schedule a time for the cop to come into his office. The ADA kept terrifying Lance whenever he would bang on their front door.

Lance had actually taken to hiding in the closet when the man was over. The small place was one of the few places that offered him a sense of comfort when Keith or Shiro couldn’t.

Now happened to be one of those time. Lance was hiding in the bedroom while Keith quietly argued with the ADA for the fourth time that week. “You need to leave, I keep telling you that you can’t come around here.”

“Look, I get it you’re boyfriend went through hell but you can’t put your life on hold because he’s fragile,” Regris said. “There are other cases, things that are more important th—”

“Finish that sentence and I’ll blow the entire case when I get on that stand,” Keith snarled. He might have been shorter than the other man but Keith didn’t care. He’d punch him out if he had to. “Nothing is more important than making sure Lance is safe and happy.”

“I didn’t mean to suggest that he wasn’t but this case is important too. If we don’t put these guys away, then they’re going to go free and that means their drug operation starts up again.”

Keith ran his hand through his hair. “And I get that, Regris, I do, but right now Lance needs me. You need to call me before coming over and stop terrifying Lance so much.”

“Terrifying him?”

“Yes, terrifying him! Every time you come over and bang on the fucking door you scare the shit out of him and he hides in our closet.” Keith didn’t like revealing this kind of thing to Regris, but it seemed to be the only thing that would make him understand what he was doing.

“I...didn't know it was that bad. Lotor has been keeping the details of the case close to his chest. He doesn’t want this case going south by someone leaking information somehow.”

“Yeah well, Lance is hurting and I need to be here. That’s why we need to set up times for me to come to you, so Lance won’t be alone and so he doesn’t get scared.”

Regris sighed. “Yeah ok. I’ll call you next time I need something, just look at this file for me and tell me if we missed something. There’s a bigger piece here that I’m not seeing and I need someone who was on the inside to take a look at it.” The ADA held out the file for Keith to take.

Once Regris was gone, Keith dropped the file on the coffee table and went into the bedroom to find Lance. “Lance?” He knocked gently on the door to the walk-in closet. “He’s gone, it’s ok now.”

A few seconds later, Lance opened the door a little. “I-is he go-going to come back?” he asked.

Keith shook his head. “No, not unless he tells me he is first.”

Lance nodded and reached out for Keith. A small smile came to Keith’s lips as he pulled his boyfriend into his arms. “What do you want to do?”

He was quiet for a moment. “Ca-can we watch  _ Lilo & Stitch _ ?”

Keith smiled and pressed his lips to the top of Lance's head. “Of course we can. Come on.” He kept his arms around the still slightly shaking boy and lead him back out into the living room. Feel good movies, like Disney and Pixar movies, seemed to be helping Lance keep his head on straight.

Lance curled himself into a tight ball on the couch and Keith went and set up the movie. Once the credits were playing, he went and got settled on the couch. He coaxed Lance to lay down with his head in Keith’s lap. When he did, Keith ran his fingers through the soft strains. He could feel Lance’s tension slipping away as the movie progressed and the progress brought a small smile to Keith’s face.

Once they’d gotten Lance out of the hospital, he’d started to feel better. He started to relax more and more and his nervousness around them. His fear that they would leave him disappearing as time went on.

They spent the better part of the day lounging around watching a movie. Keith, eventually, opened up the case file that Regris had left him. Lance didn’t even blink when he caught a glimpse of the photos dead bodies. Before, Lance would get disgusted at the sight of them. He said it was too sad to see someone’s body in a photo and know that they were gone forever, even if he didn’t know them.

Keith didn’t want to think about what had stopped him from reacting to seeing dead bodies in pictures. Instead, he just did what he could to hide the pictures from him while Lance focused on the screen.

The scene reminded him so much of before Lance had been taken from him and Shiro. It gave him hope that they’d all be ok again.

* * * * *

Keith really needed to work on his anger.

Shiro had been telling him that for years now, but it never hit until now.

He’d gotten so angry he’d snapped at Lance. To be clear, he wasn’t mad at  _ Lance _ , no he was pissed at the idiotic officer he’d worked that case with. The idiot had contaminated some evidence that had been collected and now their strongest piece was gone. Their case would go from a slam-dunk to an all-out battle once the defense attorney found out.

Because he’d been so pissed, Keith had snapped at Lance when he’d asked him what was wrong.

Now Lance was cowering under the bed. The sound of his sobbing breaking Keith’s heart over and over again. “Lance, please, I’m so sorry,” Keith called. He was seated on the floor in front of the bed trying to get his boyfriend out from under the bed. “Please, I’m so so so sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you.” He’d already texted Shiro and the other man said he’d be home soon.

Soon wasn’t soon enough.

“P-please do-don’t hurt me,” Lance’s voice sounded so scared and so broken.

Keith clenched his fists as he heard how scared Lance was. He didn’t mean for this to happen. “Lance, I won’t hurt you, I won’t  _ ever _ hurt you.”

He heard the sound of the front door opening and closing. Shiro was back.

“Please, Mas-master, I’m s-sorry. I-I won’t disobey ag-again.”

Keith felt like his heart had just been ripped from his chest and set on fire. That also happened to be when Shiro walked in. The younger man looked up at his boyfriend, he knew his eyes were wet with tears. Shiro came over and put a hand on Keith’s shoulder. His mouth opened to say something but Keith didn’t wait to hear it. He got up and left the room.

* * * * *

Shiro watched Keith bolt from the room. His instincts torn on what to do as he watched him go. He wanted to be there for both his boyfriends but he couldn’t.

Lance let out a louder sob and Shiro immediately brought his attention back to him. Shiro knelt down and looked under the bed. Lance was shaking and had curled himself up so tightly that it couldn’t be comfortable. “Lance?”

Lance’s sobbing quieted a little. “Ka-Kashi?”

“Yeah, I’m here, Lance. Can you come out from under the bed?” he asked.

He sniffled. “I-I didn’t mean to-to upset him.”

Shiro shook his head. “You didn’t. Please come out from under the bed.” It took a little coaxing, but finally, he got Lance to crawl out from the bed and Shiro quickly lifted him into his arms. Shiro held him close and pressed his lips to Lance’s forehead. “You’re ok now.” He lifted him up off the floor and curled up with Lance in his arms.

“Kashi?” Lance whispered. “Yo-you won’t ma-make me go back wi-will you?”

Shiro’s arms tightened around the slighter man. “Never, you’re never going back to that man. Keith and I love you and will make sure of it.”

Lance started sobbing as he curled himself into Shiro’s hold. His tears wetting the t-shirt that Shiro was wearing. Shiro was used to seeing him like this after a rough session with Shay, a nightmare or a panic attack. There would be a long talk with Keith.

* * * * *

Once Lance had finally gone to sleep, Shiro carefully extracted himself from the bed and went out to the kitchen.

Keith was seated at the table, a half-full bottle of whiskey sitting in front of him. “Is he ok?” he asked.

Shiro took a seat across from him. “He will be. What happened?”

Keith ran a hand through his hair. “I got frustrated about a case I was looking over and when he asked me what was wrong I snapped at him.” He picked up his glass and swallowed the contents. “God his face...I-I didn’t mean to scare him. I swear, Shiro.”

“I know you didn’t.” Shiro grabbed Keith’s hand when it looked like he would go for the bottle. “Hey, no more drinking. I know you have a high tolerance but I don’t want you drunk.”

He nodded and kept his eyes on the table. “He’s scared of me.”

“No, Keith, don’t you dare think like that,” he tightened his grip on the hand he held. “Lance loves you, he’s just—”

“Scared right now,” he finished. He ran a hand through his hair again. “I messed up. I messed up so badly.” His fist tightened around the empty glass in his hand. “What do I do?”

“You give him some time. He loves you and knows you’d never hurt him.”

Keith didn’t say anything to that, just kept his head down. “Go back to him.”

“Keith—”

“Go, Lance could wake up and panic if you’re not there. I’ll sleep on the couch tonight.”

Shiro shook his head. “No, it’s your bed too.”

“And I'm making the decision to sleep on the couch. Lance’s comfort comes first.”

“No this—”

“K-Kashi?” Lance’s voice drew both their attention.

Keith pulled his hand away from Shiro’s. “Go, it’s alright. I want to be alone right now.”

Shiro was going to argue but Lance called his name again, a more desperate note to it this time. He sighed and got up from the chair. “We’re talking again tomorrow.”

The smaller man watched Shiro go, a forlorn look on his face. He wanted to go in there and be with both his boyfriends. He wanted to hold and comfort Lance but he couldn’t. Not right now. He would only cause Lance more pain at the moment. He was going to have a lot of making up to do.

Keith stood up and made his way over to the couch. Might as well try and get some sleep.


End file.
